Bloodworks is a series of portraits conceived by artist Wayne Martin Belger to reflect on the realities of HIV thirty years after the disease surfaced.

The project was inspired by Wayne’s best friend David, who is HIV positive.  Diagnosed about 18 years ago, David’s case is unusual because he is a male infected through sex with a female.  He felt a sense of separateness from other HIV positive people because he wasn’t part of the homosexual community.  He even kept his status from Wayne throughout years of climbing trips, finally disclosing it before a surfing expedition in a dangerously rocky area.  Wayne felt compelled to explore the stigma HIV positive people feel burdened with.

The camera Wayne created for the project is named Untouchable, after the Dalits in India.  Wayne draws a parallel between these Indian people who are arbitrarily considered polluted, and people around the world infected with HIV.

HIV is a blood disease, a virus that attacks specific blood cells which make up the immune system.  Since blood is such an integral part of the subject, Wayne incorporated it into the camera.  Untouchable is the only camera in the world that circulates human blood.  The blood was donated by his HIV positive friend David.

Like all of Wayne’s cameras, Untouchable is a pinhole camera.  Pinhole cameras work by allowing light to enter through a tiny circular hole into an otherwise lightproof container with some kind of film at the back.  They do not have a lens.  Untouchable was built out of aluminum, copper, titanium and acrylic.  Blood pumps through the chambers and between two pieces of acrylic thousands of an inch apart that work as a red filter in front of the pinhole.  The blood, which is treated with heparin sulfate to prevent coagulation, tones the film.  It is replaced about every nine months.  A picture of David, taken by the camera that holds his blood, is displayed on the back of the camera now.

The images produced by Untouchable are ghostly, misty and luminescent with a red glow.  The red is highly saturated and vital.  The photos capture a feeling of a heart beating and draw the viewer in to make out the features of the individual.

I was first introduced to Wayne and one of his cameras, Yama, at Beyond Eden last October. Yama, named for the Tibetan God of Death, was created from the skull of a 500 year old Tibetan monk. The skull actually holds two cameras, side by side, through the eye sockets, to produce simultaneous exposures that can be projected to view what Yama saw in 3d. Yama has two purposes, to take pictures of people affected by the Tibetan exodus and people posing as modern interpretations of ancient deities.

Each of Wayne’s thirteen pinhole cameras were made for and from the subject they shoot. Untouchable incorporates HIV positive blood and shoots photos of HIV positive people. Yama was crafted from a 500 year old Tibetan skull and captures people affected by the Tibetan exodus. Another camera, Sons of Abraham (9/11) was constructed from a solid block of Aircraft Aluminum. Incredibly, it’s inlayed with a piece of an 1860s Bible, a 1960 Koran and a Hebrew prayer book from 1880. Light passes through a piece of metal support beam salvaged from the South Tower of the World Trade Center. The camera captures black and white images of Imams, Priests and Rabbis holding their Koran, Bible or Torah in front of their Mosque, Church or Synagogue. The theme of these works is “within darkness comes light.” Wayne hopes to conclude the series with one color image taken in Jerusalem featuring an Imam, Priest and Rabbi with their respective texts.

Each concept was the springboard from which Wayne constructed his cameras. He machines and assembles every part by hand, without blueprints or computers. When he begins the painstaking process he has no idea if the finished product will work the way he envisions. But it all allows him to physically connect to the subject matter.  And because the cameras are as much a statement as the photographic prints, all of his installations display them side by side.

Wayne does describe himself as anal. When he had finished building Untouchable, he asked a friend who was a phlebotomist to draw some of his blood so he could test the camera.  While the needle was in his arm, he started to feel dizzy and actually passed out.  But his friend continued to draw the blood.  She knew that Wayne would be less forgiving if he didn’t get the quantity of blood he needed because she stopped to take care of him. Even in the studio, he has to be coaxed to break and take refreshment.  And he spends months processing the images in the darkroom before he is satisfied with a final print.  These obsessive qualities imbue his work with a powerful energy.

Wayne’s friend Lisa Derrick noted my enthrallment with Yama at Beyond Eden, and was kind enough to extend an invitation to me to watch Wayne shoot with Untouchable last Sunday.  Few invitations could prompt the excitement and honor I felt as this one to watch this creative and thoughtful artist work.

The shoot took place at artist Shawn Barber’s tattoo studio, Memoirs, in West Hollywood.

I was profoundly moved by the experience.  In the six hours I was there, ten complete strangers to the artist came in and shared one of the most intimate and difficult details about their life.  The models included vocal activists such as Thelma James, Michael Kearns, and David L. Kelly as well as people who are less public about their status.  The first model I met, Sandrine, a mother who has turned her life around after an arrest for drugs and prostitution revealed she was infected, hasn’t even told her father yet.  Just that day the ten models represented several decades, races and sexual orientation. As different as they were, they are in their situation because of choices they made, choices any of us could make on any day, that changed their lives for ever. They put their trust in Wayne that their stories would be portrayed with dignity.  I can’t imagine anything more courageous.

In addition to myself and Wayne and each model, several people came in and out including Lisa Derrick, Shawn Barber, a friend of Lisa’s, a journalist from LGBT/POV, and art publicist Lee Joseph.  We were all snapping photos.  As I stood in the studio, listening to the loud and intrusive beeps, clicks and shutter sounds of the digital cameras and smart phones capturing the moment, the silent pinhole camera seemed much more elegant.

As each model took his or her place in front of a black backdrop, Wayne would make sure he or she was comfortable and then say “Exposed” to let them know that the camera was creating the image.  I heard the word over and over and it began to take on a different meaning for me as symbolic of their public gesture.

Since the light has to pass through the blood, a lot of light and a long exposure, generally about a minute and a half, are needed to produce a clear image.  During that time the models have to stay as still as possible, though rapid blinks are too quick to be perceived.  I became aware of just how long a minute and a half can feel when I held eye contact with the model Greg during one of his exposures.  I’d met Greg only a few minutes before in the studio.  Looking into his eyes, I felt vulnerable and extra self-aware.  I wanted to send positive, encouraging, even warm loving energy to Greg and that, along with the pressure to stay very still to the point where I was  almost holding my breath, made the minute and a half feel eternal.

The energy in the room shifted with each model.  Since the exposures are long, the model has time to think, which can cause powerful emotions to bubble up.  At one point I stepped out for a few minutes.  When I crept back in I felt a heaviness in the studio and realized model Sam Page, a tan and golden haired physical trainer, was crying.  I found Sam’s description of the experience in an article Lisa Derrick wrote on LAFIGA:

“I had to stand still for about two minutes for each shot (he took four) because of the exposure time of the lens.” Sam wrote.  ”While standing there, I stared into the wood floor — and somehow, made out the reflection of my mom’s face looking back at me. Tears began to stream as I thought about all of those who have died—and how important these images will be in telling our stories about the stigma that still exists between the HIV negative and the HIV positive gays. It was truly one of the most moving experiences of my life, when time literally stood still, and I cried, seemingly on cue.”

Models Harriet and Isabella had an almost opposite reaction.  The only models shot as a pair that day, this HIV positive mother and daughter made the studio glow with their golden, vivacious spirit.  The rest of us in the studio were trying not to laugh when the intwined pair suddenly got the giggles during an exposure.

“It really charges me,” Wayne said about the energy and spirit of the participating models.

In 2010, Wayne did several public shoots at the Urban Institute of Contemporary Art in Grand Rapids, MI.  Wayne was touched by the amazing response in a conservative area where few were open about their status.  Surrounded by hundreds of onlookers, his subjects included a director of a prestigious hospital and a soccer mom and her son.  He still gets letters from people who were moved by the project.  The exposure of such integrated members of the community opened up a dialogue about the disease.

So far, in addition to Los Angeles and Grand Rapids, Wayne has also taken images for Bloodworks in Tucson and San Francisco.  He also has shoots planned in Portland, Orlando and New York City.  And in the spring he’s going to various African destinations including Ethiopia, Liberia, Uganda, Sierra Leone, and the Congo.  He will stay with African families whose members are all HIV positive.  While most HIV positive people in America have access to medication that manages their condition, Africa is still very much in crisis.  In Sierra Leone in particular, there is an AIDS highway of infected people trying to leave the country because they can’t get medicine.  No one wants to harbor these diseased refugees and many of them drop dead on the walk.  Wayne hopes that his project will contrast the face of this disease in different geographical areas.

Bloodworks will be fully unveiled, filling four walls from floor to ceiling, at a December 2012 group show called Talismans at the Royal Ontario Museum in Montreal, Canada alongside the Third Eye, Yama and Heart cameras and photos.  Other artists participating in the group show include Joel Peter Witkin, Steven Gregory, Marc Quinn, Robert Krasnow, WhiteFeather, Francois Robert, Weiki Somers, Charles LeDray, Rosamond Purcell and Mark Prent.

Wayne does sell his cameras and prints to collectors, but each camera is one of a kind, and most prints come in a limited edition of less than ten.  Collectors of the cameras must allow Belger to borrow them to continue a series, but they do get copies of each new print.

In addition to Yama, Wayne has another skull camera named Third Eye, which was designed to study the beauty of decay.  Wayne plans to build one more skull camera to complete the trilogy.  The last one will include three human skulls, from a man, a woman and a child, placed back to back to give the camera a 360 degree view.  The man’s skull will be adorned with cut precious stones and metals and a stone from Mars as a bindi.  The woman’s with hundreds of pearls and a Moon stone bindi.  And the child’s with uncut precious stones and a piece of ancient meteorite as the bindi.

For more information on Wayne and his cameras, visit his website, Boy of Blue Industries, or his Facebook page.  Thank you very much to Lisa Derrick who reached out to me and invited me to witness art history in the making.  Thank you to Shawn Barber for welcoming me into his studio, the models for their openness and Wayne for patiently answering questions and tolerating my hovering.  It was an experience I won’t soon forget and I look forward to seeing the finished images from this shoot in particular.

Canadian photographer Lissy Elle (Laricchia) is a young artist with a gift for provocative self-portraits.  Exploring themes like the innocence of childhood, madness and mortality, her desaturated compositions vibrate with a magical energy.  I’m entranced and inspired by her ideas and the world she creates with limited resources.  And I give her props for bravely exposing herself in a myriad of ways.  Lissy kindly answered some questions about her motivations.

What do you hope to accomplish or express through your art?
A feeling of wonder. Of not knowing quite what’s going on. That childish excitement you used to get back when the world was new.

Some of your work is quite dark, what motivates you to take macabre photos?
Too many horror movies, too many Tim Burton movies, and the way the forest behind my house looks like right before the sun sets.

Do you see a connection between your darker work and your work exploring themes of childhood?
I see the similarities in execution that I think are particularly unique to me, I think they show expressions of different emotions that emanate from the same person. Different but the same.

What’s your favorite body part to shoot and why?
I guess the legs. Long, slender, beautiful, pale. Scratched or dirty. Bloody or bruised. Resting or dangling. They show a variety of emotions and can make or break any composition.

Do you carefully plan your shots or are you making it up as you go along?
It really depends. Mostly I go out to shoot with several concepts in mind, and I find that they seem to merge together the longer I work at them and then they create something entirely new unbeknownst to me.

What kind of gear do you use?
I use a Nikon D90 with a 50mm lens.

What tips would you give someone who wanted to start taking self-portraits?
I cannot stress this more, GET A REMOTE. Self-portraits are not to be taken with self-timer. Ever.

Do you ever struggle with photography block, the inability to think of a new project and if so, how do you deal with it?
I sulk. It’s not the most effective way, but step away from something long enough and you miss it with all your soul. I love how it makes me passionate for something that I’ve been doing since forever and thought I had used up. I think you need to step back, look at photographs and photographers you wouldn’t have given a second glance before, and try to look at them in a different way.

Whose work do you admire?
Tim Walker. Tim Burton.

How do you celebrate Halloween?
I buy candy at Wal-Mart and eat it while watching the Saw movies. I generally only go trick-or-treating with large groups of friends; otherwise it doesn’t seem worth it.

Thank you so much to Lissy for her thoughtful answers!  See more of Lissy’s photos on her Flickr stream or her website.

Irish illustrator Andrea Kett serves up a visual feast of tasty pinup treats. Her high-class vixens are smut for the refined, gourmand palette. Glamorous ghouls achieve the perfect blend of sassy confidence, macabre details and whimsical fun. I want to eat them all up with a silver spoon and then lick the plate. Read on for hints of Andrea’s recipe for her diabolical delicacies.

Can you give us a little background on how you became an artist?
I was quite lucky I knew what I wanted to do from an early age, which is half the battle. I went on to study animation at home in Dublin and then moved to the UK to continue my studies. After a 3 year stint in a rubbish job I went out on my own and have been doing so for the last 10-11 years.

Why draw girls?
Although most of my work online features women, I have drawn a lot of men, animals, etc and certainly my newest stuff reflects that. (I do prefer drawing women as I love to design costumes, cheeky hairstyles, etc)

How did you come up with the idea to combine cute and horror?
I never made a conscious effort to combine horror and cute. I’ve always loved horror films and I am not adverse to a bit of cuteness so I suppose that’s where it comes from. I started drawing the spooky Zombie ones about 7 years ago and they have been quite popular. I suppose it’s because you can get away with gruesome stuff if you pop a zombie/Spook in a glamourous outfit. I always try and be a bit clever with a play on words or a little joke, rather than just having a figure posing with someone’s arm in its mouth.

Who are your subjects? Do you work with models, photos, or is it all from imagination?
I use some references for the odd pose or maybe a hairstyle, but most of it is from imagination.

Can you describe your process?
I start with an idea, then create a mood board, followed by loads of sketches and notes (I always have a notebook on the go). This is my favorite stage more so than even then creating the finished piece

What do you like about working with ink and watercolors?
I like watercolours and inks as I find them best for detailed work. (I do use a fair bit of colouring pencil too.)

Does your art reflect your personality and/or style?
I think my work does reflect my personality, certainly my sense of humour and I would say probably my style too. I wear a lot of black, and am never without my red lipstick!

Whose work do you admire?
I admire lots of peoples work: Woody Allen, John Waters (is a huge inspiration he has the best character names ever), Agatha Christie, Beatrix Potter, The Cramps, Kenny Everett, Dame Darcy, Fellini, The Rocky Horror Picture Show, John Willie (one of the best ever pin up chaps) Dame Edna… I could go on forever!

How do you celebrate Halloween?
I always loved Halloween as a kid and I still do. It’s so much more commercial these days, which in fairness I don’t mind although I have had to try and stop myself buying any more decorations as it’s getting out of hand!

LOVE!!!  Thank you so much Andrea for the wonderful insights into your work!  For more information or to see more of Andrea’s work, visit her website or her Etsy shop.

“There’s nothing like a monster,” artist Neil Winn tells me at Monsterpalooza, where he sits behind whimsical, grasping imps of his own creation. To Neil’s right, an unfortunate scamp with an under bite futilely attempts to get a big lollipop into his cage. Though he sits on a pile of colorful candy, he only has eyes for the oversized sucker. It’s fanciful storytelling like this, along with attention to detail that makes Neil’s work endearing. His monsters ooze character and charisma.

Between his day job as a visual effects artist and his art, Neil’s life seems to be all about monsters. It’s no surprise that his favorite movie, Dark Crystal, does not have any human characters. “It’s pure imagination,” Neil enthuses, “that’s amazing to me.”

A self-described, “big wimp” as a kid, Neil avoided horrific monsters like Nosferatu in favor of monsters that mixed cute and funny with their dark elements. He cites Jim Henson as his biggest inspiration and admires Visual Effects guru Stan Winston (Predator, Pumpkin Head); animator Don Bluth (The Secret of NIMH, The Land Before Time); and early video game Dragon Slayer.

After growing up in rural New York and studying at the Art Institute of Pittsburgh, Neil moved to Los Angeles to pursue a career in film effects. His first studio job was in the seaming department, trimming and patching latex seams so they were no longer visible, for the first Hellboy movie. He worked his way up to the paint department and for Hellboy II painted the Abe Sapien suits.

“That was a big big thing for me,” Neil said, “because the original Abe Sapian was painted by and sculpted by Steve Wang, and he’s a really big name in creature design. So I was nervous trying to match his paint job from the original movie. It was nerve-wracking through the whole thing, but I got a lot of great feedback from it, even from Steve. Steve said it looked good so that meant the world to me.”

At the end of last year Neil had the opportunity to do some design work for Jim Henson Studios and he hopes to do more with them in the future.

Neil crafts his monsters from a variety of mediums including pencil, oil paint, resin sculpture and computer programs such as Photoshop and Z Brush.

“Just getting stuck in one thing gets a little repetitive and kind of boring for me,” Neil says. “I like to dabble in a lot of different stuff. It keeps my creative juices flowing.”

Regardless of the material he employs, Neil always strives to get one thing right to give his pieces character.

“I think the eyes have to have a soul to them. Even with sculpture and my illustrations, I really try to get the eyes to have some kind of emotion behind them to sell the piece.”

To see more of Neil’s work, visit his website.